Launchpad’s Company Secretary, Mandy Crompton has set herself a personal challenge of shaving all her hair off to raise money and awareness of two charities close to her heart.
Like the rest of the country, Mandy who lives in Tayvallich on the West Coast of Scotland, has been in lockdown since mid-March and has not been able to get to the hairdressers for her regular style and cut.
“I religiously go to the hairdressers every 4-5 weeks and managed a visit just before lockdown, but that was 10 weeks ago now and due to current restrictions, particularly here in Scotland, hairdressers are not likely to open for some weeks” said Mandy.
“People who know me well will be aware that I hate my short hair to become so heavy it goes flat on top. I’ve tried to cut it myself but it is tricky the longer it gets so I have decided to take the plunge and just shave it all off to raise money for two charities that are close to me.”
Mandy has set a challenge of raising £5,000, which will be equally split between veterans’ charity Launchpad, the charity she works for, and Cancer Research UK.
Mandy has been a keen supporter of Cancer Research ever since she was diagnosed with breast cancer and received treatment for in 2011. With clinical trials postponed due to Covid-19, Cancer Research anticipates a drop in fundraising and donations by up to 25%.
This is a familiar situation for other charities including Launchpad, which provides accommodation and targeted support to homeless veterans and helps them to stabilise their lives and make a successful transition from military to civilian life.
Mandy has set up a fundraising page on Just Giving and is hoping family, friends, business colleagues and her wider connections within the military will sponsor her for this worthwhile cause and help her to achieve her target.
The actual event will take place in her garden on Saturday, 13 June, which will be 12 weeks since lockdown and she will video the event live.
Mandy continued: “This is a big challenge for me but I have decided to take drastic steps to raise money for these two wonderful charities. I’ve seen at first-hand, the impact of the service Launchpad provides to help homeless veterans’ transition and has helped over 460 veterans since 2013.
“Since I was diagnosed, I have always been a keen supporter of Cancer Research as a way of saying thank you for helping me when I needed it most. I have participated in their Race for Life events and I am a regular donor. These are difficult times, especially for the charity sector so I felt I wanted to give something back to help them. I would really appreciate your support – every little helps me to achieve my target.”
To sponsor Mandy, you can donate on her Just Giving page at: www.justgiving.com/campaign/lockdownbadhairday